When the Halloween season rolls around, there are many anime fans who are more than willing to bring along some of their favorite characters. In recent years, more professional athletes have shown their love for anime.. Whether it’s National Football League football players, MMA fighters, and/or baseball players entering the field of Major League Baseball, anime and sports are becoming intertwined. In a fun new cosplay, a big NBA star took to the court to celebrate the spooky season by taking on the look of No Face, one of Studio Ghibli’s spookiest characters.

For those who have somehow been lost Spirited AwayThe Studio Ghibli film was the first of its kind to win an Academy Award. The film, which first hit theaters in 2001, follows a young girl named Chihiro as she and her parents stumble upon a magical world. When her parents are transformed into pigs, Chihiro must work at a bathhouse to save herself and her loved ones. During her time in servitude, the young woman comes into contact with the mysterious “No Face”, a shadowy being who offers gold to those around him and remains one of Ghibli’s most recognizable creations to this day. It makes sense that an NBA player would decide to bring this creature into the real world.

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On Halloween, San Antonio Spur player Victor “Wemby” Wembanyama showed up to practice dressed as No Face, doing a perfect recreation of the game. Spirited Away antagonist. Considering Wemby is around seven feet three inches tall, it makes sense that he would fit well with the supernatural creation. Needless to say, anime continues to make its way down some wild avenues in North America and we expect more crossovers into the world of the NBA in the future.

anime x basketball

Anime and basketball have gone well together in the history of both. More recently, one of the biggest examples of a gaming-focused anime was The first mate. The film returned to the classic anime franchise thanks to Toei Animation, telling the story of a high school basketball game that interweaves character flashbacks and fast-paced action on the courts. Currently streaming on Netflix, The first mate is one of the best anime movies of all time, let alone one that focuses on sports.

When it comes to sports in general in the world of anime, anime fans have quite a few series to choose from.. Just this fall season, blue padlock has returned for its second season, although it has been surrounded by controversy. Many anime fans feel that the second season has failed to live up to the animation of blue lock first season, although it has still retained its status as one of the world’s greatest examples of sports anime despite these setbacks.

Ironically, the NBA announced a crossover with the basketball anime series. Kuroko’s basketball. In this official partnership, players from the beloved anime franchise take the field in the mobile game, Street rivalswhich has a great influence from the National Basketball Association. As the popularity of anime continues to grow over time, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the NBA working towards new crossovers in the future.

Want to stay up to date on all things Studio Ghibli? Do you want to see how the world of anime appears in sports leagues in the future? Follow Team Anime on ComicBook.com for the latest updates on the world of anime and contact me directly @EVComedy to talk about all things comics and anime.